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Budget

EPA is bracing for a shutdown of all operations except essential services following the imminent end to reserve funding that it has been using to stay open amid a partial government shutdown, and is preparing an “orderly” procedure to halting its work given the ongoing impasse over legislation to fund shuttered agencies.

A national grassroots citizens coalition is planning once again to push for reinstating long-expired Superfund 'polluter pays' taxes, seeking to press the Democratic-controlled House into action, but one industry source doubts such a measure will secure widespread backing.

EPA has sufficient funds to weather a short government shutdown with relatively minimal disruption to its operations, according to a new contingency plan and assurances from acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler sent to agency staff.

Congress is poised to vote in the coming days on a stopgap bill that will extend level funding for EPA and six other federal agencies into February, a move that will avoid a partial government shutdown while creating an early test for the new Democratic Congress to negotiate a longer-term deal with Senate Republicans and the White House.

EPA is struggling to implement 32 new wastewater and drinking water mandates included in the recently enacted water resources development law even though some of the requirements -- such as measures addressing the cost of replacing lead service lines -- lack new funding, officials told their drinking water advisers Dec. 6.